10G 20TB Plex NAS Build

The Problem

You know the feeling. Scrolling through Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Prime Video — endless content, nothing to watch. Five streaming services, three subscriptions you forgot to cancel, and somehow you’re still paying for rentals on movies you already own on DVD somewhere in a box.

I wanted something better. A media library where I choose what’s available. Where 4K HDR doesn’t buffer. Where my friends and family can watch my collection from their own homes.

So I built this.

What We’re Building

A media server that:

Stores 20TB+ of content
Streams 10G networking for local transfers
Runs Plex, Jellyfin, and other services
Runs on Unraid for flexibility
Streams to remote users reliably

The Hardware

Parts Used

Component	Model	Price
CPU	Intel i5-12400	$180
Motherboard	ASRock H670 Pro RS	$150
RAM	32GB DDR4-3200	$100
Boot Drive	250GB NVMe SSD	$30
Cache Drive	1TB NVMe SSD	$80
Storage (4x)	8TB Seagate IronWolf	$600
10G NIC	Intel X540-T1 (used)	$80
Case	Fractal Design Node 804	$180
PSU	Corsair RM650	$90
Total		$1,490

* Prices are approximate at time of purchase. Links may include affiliate commissions.

Customize Your Build

CPU

RAM

Storage Drives

Networking

Motherboard

$150

Boot Drive

$30

Cache Drive

$80

Case

$180

PSU

$90

Total: $0

* Prices are approximate and may vary. Links may include affiliate commissions.

Why These Choices?

QuickSync Champion

The Intel i5-12400 has excellent QuickSync support for hardware transcoding. Plex can transcode multiple 4K streams without breaking a sweat, and power consumption is reasonable at idle.

Why Unraid?

I went with Unraid over TrueNAS because you can mix and match drive sizes, run Docker containers easily, set up VPN for remote access with one click, and the community support is incredible.

Pro Tip: Enterprise Gear

The Intel X540-T1 is a tank. Used enterprise gear on eBay is the way to go here. New 10G gear is expensive; used enterprise gear is practically free.

The Build Process

Step 1: Case Setup

The Node 804 is perfect for NAS builds. It’s cube-shaped with separate compartments for the motherboard and drives. The drive side holds 8x 3.5” drives with room to spare.

Step 2: Storage Configuration

With Unraid, we don’t need RAID. Instead:

1x parity drive (8TB)
3x data drives (24TB total)
1x cache pool (1TB NVMe)

Parity is Not Backup

If a drive dies, parity protects you. But if multiple drives fail or you delete something by accident, you’re out of luck. Always have off-site backups for important data.

Step 3: Networking

The 10G NIC connects directly to my Mikrotik CRS305 switch. Local transfers hit 500+ MB/s — an entire 4K movie in seconds.

Performance

Local Performance

Metric	Result
Sequential Read	1.2 GB/s
Sequential Write	800 MB/s
Plex Direct Play	4K HDR, no issues
Plex Transcode	5+ simultaneous streams

Remote Performance

Through Tailscale VPN, remote users get 20-40 Mbps streams. Enough for 1080p everywhere, 4K on good connections.

Services Running

The beauty of Unraid is Docker support. Currently running:

Plex — Main media server
Jellyfin — Backup/emergency streaming
Sonarr/Radarr — Media management
Prowlarr — Indexer aggregation
Tailscale — VPN for remote access
Home Assistant — Smart home hub
Various other containers — Backup, monitoring, etc.

Power Consumption

At idle: ~45W Under load: ~120W

For a server running 24/7, that’s reasonable. The i5-12400 is surprisingly efficient at idle.

Lessons Learned

What I Learned

Buy more drives than you think you need. I’m already at 70% capacity and considering expansion. Storage has a way of filling up faster than you expect.

What I Learned

Cache drives matter. The NVMe cache makes a huge difference for Docker performance and downloads. Don’t skip it.

What I Learned

Don’t skimp on the NIC. The Intel X540 might be old, but it’s rock solid. Cheap consumer 10G gear is often unreliable.

What I Learned

Test your backups. I thought I had a backup strategy until I actually tried to restore. Now I test monthly. A backup you haven’t tested isn’t a backup.

Future Upgrades

More storage — The Node 804 has room for 8 drives. I’m using 4.
GPU for transcoding — If I ever need more simultaneous 4K transcodes
RAM upgrade — 32GB is fine for now, but Unraid can use more for cache

Conclusion

This NAS has been running for two years without major issues. It streams to my TV, my phone, my friends’ houses. It backs up my data. It runs my smart home.

Ready to Build?

If you’re tired of juggling streaming subscriptions and want full control over your media, build one. The upfront cost is real, but the freedom is worth it.

Questions? Hit me up on the contact page or check out the YouTube channel for the full build walkthrough.

10G 20TB Plex NAS Build

The Problem

What We’re Building